<p>Does anyone know about this program?</p>
<p>I’m interested in religious studies but I am NOT a Jew. Do they only accept Jewish applicants? I’m a Roman Catholic if that matters. I’m also non-Caucasian.</p>
<p>How much of this blog post is really true?</p>
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<li>Be (or become!) Jewish and apply to List College at the Jewish Theological Seminary. </li>
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<p>If you’re Jewish and either have (or can fake) an interest in Judaism, JTS is probably the best way to backdoor into Columbia. Prospective JTS undergrads must either apply as a double-degree student with Barnard, or as a joint degree student with Columbia GS; you cannot be admitted into List College without also being admitted to either Barnard or GS. Not only do you dodge the stigma of being a non-trad student - 85% of JTS students finish both of their degrees in four years and typically jump into the program straight out of high school - but you also have a good reason for being at Barnard or GS in the first place. (According to the College Board, 61% of applicants get in; a FAQ on the JTS website states, “Students who are accepted typically have As and Bs on their high school transcripts and have taken a rigorous course load for four years. Students tend to score in the mid-600s on each of the three sections of the SAT. The average ACT score is between 29 and 31.” With grades and test scores like that it’d be difficult to get into Cornell.</p>
<p>I’ve never heard of a JTS student who didn’t self-describe as Jewish. But, I admire your moxie. Seeing as your so flexible, I’d make a recommendation: self-describe as female and just enroll full-time at Barnard (better FA).</p>
<p>I am a female so your attempt at a backlash has failed.</p>
<p>My son would dearly love to attend Columbia. He and I looked at the List College option for about a minute and a half. Even though he is Jewish, he felt it is necessary to show real interest in Judaism to go through this program. Take a look at the academic offerings and you will see why:</p>
<p>[The</a> Jewish Theological Seminary - Academics](<a href=“http://www.jtsa.edu/Albert_A_List_College_of_Jewish_Studies/Academics.xml]The”>http://www.jtsa.edu/Albert_A_List_College_of_Jewish_Studies/Academics.xml)</p>
<p>Is it worth it? Perhaps. Keith Olbermann went to the Cornell School of Agriculture and Life Sciences (with a degree in communications) and nobody cares about the difference.</p>
<p>It depends on how badly you want the Columbia name.</p>
<p>well it isn’t so much the backlash comment that hellojan was trying to execute, but to bring to focus the utter ridiculousness of your suggestion. as for do they accept non-Jewish applicants - they probably would (so as to be non-discriminatory, there are non-Jewish students at Jewish Day Schools).</p>
<p>i think the real question is fit, and further you ought to consider the program is incredibly rigorous as it is two degrees in 4 years.</p>
<p>in any case, to post on this board something that is ripe with malady makes my blood boil. it is probably why this is your 1st post, you are a ■■■■■, an instigator. begone.</p>
<p>singleparent, CALS is not the same thing as joint degree with GS. CALS is basically the same thing, but the more economical version, of CAS at Cornell. it is a school of the university that serves a function of the university. a student who wants to major in biology should and could attend either school. </p>
<p>list college is separate; if you wish to have a rigorous education in jewish studies you would not select columbia by itself. going to list is not about having the cake and eating it too…it appeals to a very different student. though students can partake in the BC or GS programs and receive degrees from columbia, that is not its primary function.</p>
<p>“CALS is basically the same thing, but the more economical version, of CAS at Cornell.”</p>
<p>well, to the extent that a College of Agriculture is the same as a College of Arts & Sciences…</p>
<p>There is overlap in the biology major, basically. A couple other programs have some overlap perhaps but CALS slant is much more applied, vs. theoretical.</p>
<p>I’m not aware of any concentrations in Sustainable Agriculture, or Crop Production & Management, offered in CAS, nor do I recall any Philosophy or French majors in CALS. Etc.</p>
<p>Each college has its own requirements, including mandated # credits taken in that college and completion of a major offered by that college. IIRC, CALS requires a year of Biology. CAS requires typical distribution requirements of an Arts & Sciences college, including language requirement.</p>
<p>If you wish to have a rigorous education in Agriculture, you would not select Cornell CAS by itself. Though CALS students can partake in programs at Cornell’s other colleges outside CALS, that is not its primary function.</p>
<p>Blast!</p>
<p>Okay, I came across as a little smarmy. I apologize for that. The truth is that one shouldn’t commit to a program unless one is ready to live in it. Backdoors are interesting to discuss in the abstract. But, unless your interest is academic, and in this case spiritual, you’re setting yourself up for some difficulty.</p>
<p>Back when I filed my ED application in October 2001, the ED accept rate for SEAS was 60%. That’s a backdoor if I’ve ever seen one.</p>
<p>Of course it’s now around 25%, but still, let’s not overstate the case here. JTS/GS is generally for people who want a seminary education in addition to a traditional liberal arts one. If all you want is the liberal arts education, go (say) teach in Zambia for a year and then apply to GS outright. They’re not uber-selective, especially if you can clearly state why Columbia (and GS specifically) is right for you.</p>
<p>If you have an honest interest in Jewish theology and can express it in an application, you would have a good chance of getting in. However, you must consider what such an education would entail. I think the link posted above should give you an idea of the level of devotion to Jewish religious studies that you should have. Even if you are interested in religion, you might be better off applying to either a seminary of your own faith or majoring in religious studies at a different college.</p>
<p>Also, the student body, as far as I’ve seen, is basically composed of religious Jewish students. You might have a hard time fitting in. Not impossible, but it’s something to think about when considering an undergraduate college experience.</p>